...
Normally, horse girls would independently choose which races to participate in, which is akin to setting personal goals.
The trainer's role is to coordinate the timing.
"Kochi, huh..." Lucian muttered to himself.
Kochi Racecourse was located very far from the city where Tracen Academy was situated, so there probably wouldn't be many horse girls participating in races there.
But that was to be expected—Kochi had deep connections with Urara.
As the sky grew darker,
after eating and drinking their fill, Lucian urged the little fillies who were chatting idly to leave.
Silence Suzuka wanted to stay and help, and upon seeing this, Seiun Sky also volunteered.
But Lucian refused both—this time, he wasn't drunk.
Besides, the last two times they "helped," it was really just Silence Suzuka doing all the work.
If he ended up marrying Silence Suzuka in the future, wouldn't that be quite a blessing? But that was a thought for another time.
...
The date of the Satsuki Sho drew closer day by day, and the weather shifted from cool to warm.
Many potted plants were placed outside the "Dream" break room. Whenever sunlight shone on them, the vibrant colors seemed to take on a dreamy glow, as if this place had captured the essence of spring ahead of time.
The mild weather was perfect for training.
Since the last simulated race, Lucian had conducted multiple specialized training sessions to improve everyone's mastery of the pitch running style.
At this moment, the members of "Dream" were gathered in the break room, listening attentively to Lucian's guidance.
"The pitch running style isn't just for steep slopes—it can also be used on flat ground, especially in curves."
As he spoke, Lucian played a recording of Silence Suzuka's past race in front of the group. "Take a look at this footage. What do you notice?"
He couldn't always be the only one talking. Occasionally prompting the horse girls to think for themselves and sparking their wisdom would also benefit their races.
While the others were still pondering, Urara eagerly raised her hand. "Trainer, I know!"
"Go ahead."
"Are you saying Suzuka's running style is related to the pitch technique?"
Lucian nodded.
Urara perked up, her ears standing tall.
"Nope." Urara deflated.
Lucian really had no idea what went on in Urara's little head. "Spe-chan, what do you think?"
Special Week looked flustered, but upon seeing Lucian's encouraging gaze, she steadied herself and answered, "Trainer-san, I don't think Suzuka's running style is the pitch technique."
After so much specialized training, Special Week knew full well that the defining features of the pitch technique were short strides and high frequency. The running style in the video didn't match those traits at all.
"You're right." Lucian sighed and decided not to ask Seiun Sky, since everyone's thinking had gone off track. "Actually, I just wanted you to notice something very surface-level—during the curve, Suzuka was still widening the gap between herself and the other horse girls."
Everyone wore expressions of sudden realization.
"You know what they say—anyone can accelerate on a straightaway, but true speed shows in the curves." Lucian glanced at Silence Suzuka. "The reason Suzuka could keep pulling ahead in the curves is because she excels at left-turn courses. But not everyone is Suzuka."
"So, when taking a curve, using the pitch technique can make it easier to accelerate, just like this horse girl here." Lucian pointed to a horse girl in the footage who accelerated during the curve. After exiting the turn, she overtook the opponent in front of her with an explosive burst of speed.
"Ooh~" Urara gasped in amazement. "Then Urara will use the pitch technique in every curve from now on!"
She looked proudly at Lucian, her face full of expectation, as if waiting for praise.
"Urara is such a 'clever' little horse." Lucian deliberately emphasized his tone.
"Deshou, deshou? (Right, right?)"
"Of course not, dummy."
Lucian laughed and lightly scolded her. Urara immediately puffed up her cheeks like a startled little pufferfish.
"Race conditions are ever-changing. If you're in the lead, the choice is naturally yours. But what if you're in the middle of the pack? During curves, many competitors crowd the inner lane, so you'll need to judge the right moment to break through."
"What if I'm running on the outside during a curve?" Seiun Sky asked.
"Then you'd still have options, but..." Lucian's tone shifted. "Using the pitch technique on flat ground is extremely taxing, and running on the outer lanes already means covering more distance than those on the inside. How do you balance that? That's also something you'll need to judge during the race."
With that, Lucian had said all he needed to say.
Seeing the four horse girls silently lost in thought, he softened and broke the slightly tense atmosphere.
"Don't worry too much. Experience will teach you gradually."
Urara clutched her head. "It's too complicated! Urara never thought about so many things before!"
Silence Suzuka, for once, nodded in agreement with Urara. "Me too. I never considered this much."
Lucian felt a bit exasperated internally.
One was always at the very back, and the other was always at the very front—of course they didn't need to think about these things.
Seiun Sky, however, pondered for a while before tilting her head slightly and asking, "Trainer, do you prefer the inside lane or the outside?"
Lucian frowned.
Hmm... Something felt off about that question.
"You mean, if I were on the track, whether I'd prefer running on the inside or outside, right?"
Seiun Sky raised an eyebrow, her lips curling mischievously. "That's~ right~"
"I already said it depends on race conditions." Lucian shook his head, feeling like Seiun Sky was teasing him.
"Then how about Lucian-kun runs with us once?" Silence Suzuka chimed in, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"Your warm-up ends when my training ends." Lucian patted his thighs. "But speaking of which, when I was a kid, I often came in first in races. The doctor said my Achilles tendons are long—I'm naturally suited for running."
"I don't believe it. Unless Lucian-kun shows us a first-class athlete certificate."
"Well, Suzuka, you're not wrong... I don't have one." Lucian had already mastered many skills—he hadn't had time to get an athlete certification.
"I believe you." Seiun Sky smiled. "I'm sure Trainer's legs are amazing."
"Uh... Seiun, you mean you believe I have a natural talent for running, right?"
Seiun Sky glanced away, her smile widening as she drew out her words. "Riiight~"
...